Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Back in the freezer again, -11 and wind chill of -20 and clear sky, roller coaster of weather we are having.

We took in the SIKU [Sea Ice Knowledge and Use] workshop last evening at the NG boardroom.

This Paul Pigott sure has his shit together with his linguistic studies of Inuttut.

There are a myriad of dialects, some very close to each other and some like those in the western arctic and Greenland not close at all to the others [in the ability to understand each other].

Any way the description of Paul’s methodology and the process he has undertaken in gathering ice terms for his research is very interesting and quite fascinating.

Along the way he has gathered other almost lost or little used words relating to birds and plants. Perhaps another research project is in the waiting.

It is clear that Inuttut is alive but on life support. Latest statistics put the Labrador Inuttut speakers at just 550, this is contested by NG but without supporting data you go with what you have.
NG could hardly have much credibility in this area; out of the 7 people in attendance last evening only two were from NG. One was an interpreter and the other was the NG Nain community liaison worker.

Just my opinion but one would think that someone from the NG cultural department [Torngasok] would have been in attendance. Why one could be excused for thinking someone from the tourism and youth departments could have made the effort to attend. There is always all this rhetoric being spewed about retaining Inuit culture, perhaps they are all exhausted doing proposals for trips to parts unknown and procuring funding for same.
Then perhaps language retention is no longer a priority of NG’s cultural agenda, one could be excused for thinking along those lines.

Word is that a court injunction has been issued on the striking workers of local 9508 of the USW preventing them from peaceful protest of the mv Umiak entering into Edwards Cove.

So the bourgeoisie of all levels of government who are in bed with big corporate have another one over the proletariat battling to make ends meet.

Now I am no fan of the Voisey’s Bay mine and mill but there is the smell of rotting flesh about this.

In a free and democratic country people who are engaged in a lawful strike are prevented from protesting the use of scab labor.

At least if the proletariat of Nunatsiavut are of a mind they can voice their discontent at the NG bourgeoisie on may 4th. Vote early and vote

4 comments:

Paul's doing a great job with his research. It's a shame more people didn't come out to hear his community feedback presentation. No one from Torngasuk? Maybe there was a language conference in Singapore that needed attending.

Did you see the Globe article by John Gray--who visited Nain back in the day--about Vale's troubles in Sudbury?

Just had a look at the article, John Gray is not bad, but not as good as the articles in KI back in the day.Those sure had the little piss ant lawyers and advisers little Willies in a knot sure.The little lady did not back down though, made them back off, wont see the likes of that these days.

Goodness, it's been quite busy up there again. Sorry, developed Blood clots from the surgery and made another trip to the hospital again. I thought the Vale-Inco thing would have been solved by now. But I guess there is no end in their greed. Not surprising given their ties to Rio Tinto and there crap attitude to indigenous lifeforms. Especially off color people.